Slight increase proposed in McGrail’s final budget

MIDDLEBORO -- The departing town manager has presented a recommended town budget for next year of about $112 million dollars.

That figure represents an increase of  slightly more than 1 percent over the current spending, which is the lowest hike in five years, Town Manager James McGrail said during the budget presentation to the Select Board and Finance Committee at their Feb . 2 joint meeting.

This will be the final budget McGrail will prepare. He is leaving March 4 to become town administrator in Harwich.

Factors that led to his proposed budget increase include an 8 percent increase in retirement costs, including cost of living adjustments; a 7 percent hike in health insurance costs; and $1 million in payments toward the debt the town incurred for a $305 million new school at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in 2022.

Major budget numbers include schools at $42.95 million; employee benefits such as insurance at $26.6 million; police at $7.8 million and fire at $6 million.

One revenue increase is in the new growth category, which McGrail said includes commercial developments such as the Rexa project on West Grove Street and housing construction in various locations.

The town will bring in $1.1 million in new growth next year, McGrail predicted. He noted that figure might be “conservative.’’

“There is a lot of construction going on in this town,’’ he said. “You can’t really drive on any road without seeing some construction.’’

He acknowledged that not everybody is happy with all of the ongoing construction and what he described as its potential impact on the town’s character.

But the numbers, he pointed out, do bolster the budget.

Conversely, revenue from the marijuana industry is dropping, McGrail said. “Cannabis is tanking, I don’t know any other way to say it.’’

The market is “somewhat saturated’’ both in Middleboro and across the state, he said. The price of marijuana is also dropping, Select Board member Brian Giovanoni said.

“Every quarter is worse than the year before and has been for the last couple of years," McGrail said.

Fortunately, he said, that revenue stream is a small part of the budget. He projected $300,000 in revenue next year, less than the $350,000 expected this year

Select board members are scheduled to vote on the budget at a future meeting. Town Meeting voters will have the final say April 27.